'Real Steel,' 'Footloose' duke it out for No. 1 (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? The robot boxers of "Real Steel" and the dancers of "Footloose" are in a tight fight for the box-office title.

According to studio estimates Sunday, the Hugh Jackman tale about machines in the boxing ring took in $16.3 million, which would make it the No. 1 movie for the second-straight weekend.

But "Real Steel" came in barely ahead of the remake "Footloose," which opened with $16.1 million. "Footloose" is a new take on the 1980s flick about a youth challenging a town's dance ban.

The movies are close enough that they could switch rankings once final numbers are released Monday.

The horror remake "The Thing" opened at No. 3 with $8.7 million. Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson's bird-watching comedy "The Big Year" flopped with a $3.3 million opening.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111016/ap_on_en_ot/us_box_office

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